Jalal Paw
by Glacier88
Summary: This is an unofficial sequel to "Varjak Paw" by Avneil Purba. It's about Varjak's and Holly's son, Jalal. Jalal was named after his Father Varjak's Ancestor Jalal. (The current Jalal has yellow-green eyes)
1. Chapter 1: The Struggle Is Real

**Chapter 1**

"Wake up Little One! It's me, your Auntie Tam!" Aunt Tam crouched in front of me to meet my gaze.

"Tam, I told you not to wake Jalal!" my mother Holly's gravelly voice sounded behind me. Her milky scent was as soothing as ever.

"Is he awake?" my father's proud voice stood out against the murmurs of the crowd. He was Varjak –Varjak, the Paw. Even Sally Bones' old gang was scared of Varjak! He is the coolest father ever.

I jumped up, my eyes wide and awake, to greet my father. "Father, Father! I had a dream that I was hunting a mouse, and I caught it! I actually caught it!"

"Aren't you a bit young to be hunting anything bigger than a cricket?" Varjak teased.

"In my dream, I was as big as the lions in front of the library!" I bounced excitedly.

"And your spirit is even larger," he replied fondly. "Once you grow older, I can start teaching you 'The Way of Jalal'."

"Really?" I leaned in closer, my eyes sparkling with interest.

"But only when you're older will you understand..."

The sparkle in my eyes faded and I frowned in disappointment. *Gurgle!* I looked down at my belly and then laughed. "I'm hungry!" I giggled.

"Are you now?" my mother purred from behind me. Mother was holding a half-eaten squirrel, as big as I was. "I thought you'd at least be ready to try some solid food..."

I looked into her mustard-and-ice-colored eyes and then back at the squirrel. "That's _all_ for me?" I gaped at the size of the rodent.

"No, silly!" Mother cooed. "You'll share it with Sierra and Honey."

I frowned. Sierra is a stuck up snob, and her sister is... well, she's really quiet. "Well, at least I won't have to eat it all myself." I looked at the two she-kittens coming my way and smiled as best as I could.

Sierra swaggered over, with her golden fur sparkling beautifully in the sunlight. Although she is a snob, I have to admit she's got the looks! "Hey, Jalal! What's going on handsome?" Sierra crooned, brushing up against my fur and making me feel _way_ more uncomfortable than I already was.

I stood my ground, but sort of leaned away from her. It was kind of disgusting.

"Hey Jalal," Honey whispered. I looked at her and she immediately looked down at her sandy-colored paws.

_She-cats are weird!_

"Let's eat!" I sat down in front of the squirrel and bit into the chewy flesh. The warmth of the fresh kill seeped through my bones and warmed me up on a chilly day. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing in the clear air and squirrel scent deeply. As I exhaled, I saw my breath. I smiled in satisfaction and dug into the meal ravenously.

"Eww! Jalal!" Sierra scrunched up her nose in disgust. "You're getting blood all over your fur!"

"So?!" I retorted, with a mouthful of meat. "This is my first time eating _real_ food. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment?"

Sierra looked at me scornfully and stuck up her nose.

"I think it's appropriate to eat meat however you like, the first time," Honey spoke quietly.

"No, it's not!" Sierra snarled at her sister.

Honey ducked her head and flattened her ears in fear of Sierra.

My yellow-green eyes darkened with disapproval. I quickly cleaned the excess breakfast from my fur and I stood up in front of Sierra defiantly. "Why don't you pick a fight with someone your own size?" I hissed under my breath, my muzzle inches from hers.

"But she's my twin! We're the same size!" Sierra rolled her eyes.

"You snail brain!" my pelt burned with fury. "She's weaker than you! You don't pick on cats that are weaker than you. It doesn't make sense!" My voice grew louder, drawing the attention of several cats nearby.

"Maybe it's you who is the snail brain, Snail Brain!" Sierra pushed me back with a mighty shove. "Picking a fight with your only potential mate? You have to be a real _dummy_ to do that!"

"Only potential mate? ONLY POTENTIAL MATE?!" I screeched. "I-I've got Honey... and all the she-cats my age who I haven't met yet... and definitely NOT _you_!" I looked at her with revulsion.

Sierra growled and crouched down, bunching her muscles and pounced on me. We rolled in the grass, scratching and biting each other.

"You don't want Honey! She's a wimp! And everyone knows we're together..." Sierra hissed as we rolled down the hill.

"No way! Stop spreading rumors! No one will believe you anyway!" I spat through a mouthful of fur.

"Sierra!" Auntie Tam yelled. "I know I have raised you better!" she cried as she broke us apart. She looked at me sternly, "Just wait till your mother hears about this!"

We were both bloody, but nothing major.

I bowed my head apologetically. "Sorry, Auntie Tam," I mewed as I started to clean the fresh blood from my fur.

Sierra and Honey are Auntie Tam and Uncle Omar's kittens. They're very good friends of my parents. Needless to say, I'm in BIG trouble.

"What in Jalal's name is going on here?" Varjak stormed over to me. "I know your mother and I do not tolerate this kind of behavior." He looked at me like I was a monster. "What has gotten in to you?" I bowed my head deeper in regret. I had disappointed my father. My hero.

"I- She-" I stammered.

"I don't want to hear an excuse. Do you understand that what you did was wrong?" His flame colored eyes bore deep into my soul.

"But I- Sierra, she- and Honey-" he instantly cut me off.

"Do you understand, Jalal?"

"I-… I understand." My morning instantly ruined, all because of my actions that put shame upon my father. Varjak walked over to my mother that had just heard the news.

"I talked to him." He said softly.

"What would provoke him to do such a thing?" she asked with sincerity.

"I just don't know what to do, Holly! I- if I can't keep in line my own child, how am I supposed to protect the Free-Cats?" I've never seen my father more puzzled. I lied down and put my head on my paws. I just wanted this day to end. Why has it only just begun? I looked around at the other Free-Cats. They all looked at me in disgust. I walked over to a puddle and stared at myself in the reflection in disgust. 'look at him!' I pantomimed into the mirror image. 'what a disappointment. I was hoping Varjak's child would have more self control and respect!' I sighed. The water rippled. Destroying my still reflection, distorting it. I looked up.

"Why so down, Paw?" Jess looked down at me. Her happy words only discomforted me.

"Why do you think, Jess?" I sighed. "I let down Varjak."

"Well, yeah, but I think Sierra kind of deserved it." I looked at her questioningly. Everyone loves Sierra. No one would think that she had caused the trouble. "She's a real jerk-face!" she smiled. I smiled. "I saw the whole thing. No wonder she set you off like that! I'm glad you stood up for Honey, though. Poor abused child. She'd done nothing wrong." I liked Jess a lot more now. Even though she's a lot older than me, she's not as blind as all of the grown-ups around here. 'So, since you're feeling better, you wanna learn a little bit about hunting?"

"Would I?" I jumped up my eyes wide.

"Well, would you?" she asked.

"Yes! Of course-" I got cut off by my mother.

"Not." She finished. "I'm sorry Jess, but Jalal needs some time to think about what he's done, and reflect on his actions. He has no time to play." There you have it. Leave it to parents to ruin my already bad day even more.

"I understand. Sorry Holly." She bowed her head apologetically. When my mother turned away, Jess mouthed 'sorry' to me. I followed my mother back to the makeshift nursery. The cardboard roof was saggy, and soggy. A water droplet fell on my head. Ugh. What's the matter with parents? Why can't they just leave their children be for once?

My mother noticed my wet head, and started grooming me. AGAIN. I let her, though. I'm in enough trouble as is. After the tongue lashings were over, I ran out of the nursery and yelled to my mom "I'm going to go reflect my actions by myself now, thanks for the bath!" I ran out of verbal reach before she could reply. I squeezed through the gates. I wasn't allowed out here, but it is my only escape. I can't go back.

"Jalal?" Honey whispered. I whirled around, expecting her demon-spawn sister to be with her. I sighed with relief. It was just Honey. "Where-" she paused for a moment, unsure if she should say what's on her mind in fear of her sister. "Where are you going?" she finally asked. I looked at her and smiled.

"I'm running away, Honey. I don't expect you to ever see me again." I paused. Collecting my thoughts. "Don't tell the others… Okay?" I expected her to nod and go away, like she would normally do, but instead, she spoke and said the last thing I would expect her to say.

"Then, I'm going with you."


	2. Chapter 2: Adventure Time!

Chapter 2

"No. You can't go." He firmly stated, his gray and white fur flowing gorgeously in the wind. I began to protest, but I knew he wouldn't change his mind. Something changed inside of me right then. I figured that I have the power to follow him. I have the power to do what I want. If I spend enough time away from Sierra, that I might have a chance to build up courage again. I'll have time.

"You can't tell me what I can't do." I replied with more defiance than I intended. Jalal looked shocked by this answer, but I don't blame him. I usually keep my thoughts to myself and don't question anyone. "Even if you say no, I'll just follow you." I took a deep breath. I was going to need it. "Jalal, I… I have just as much of a right and reason to run away as you do. Please. Let me go with you. I can't stay here. I can't endure the torture anymore." 'Nor can I endure the torture of being apart from you forever.' I thought to myself. 'I don't know what love is, but I want to learn to love Jalal Paw. ' "…. Thank you for sticking up for me back there. I-" 'I want to be with you forever.' "I want to repay you, and keep you company on your journey….. If you'll keep me company."

"Oh my god Honey. Can you be quiet for one second?" He sounded a little annoyed. "You can come. We can go together." I jumped in excitement.

"Really?" I asked with fervor.

"Just as long as you don't make crazy long speeches that catch me completely off guard, then yeah!" He joked. I felt like pouncing on him in delight. I didn't though. We looked at each other and smiled.

"Race you to that weird tree!" I yowl over the howling winds. We tore through the bushes and leaves of fall, the wind whipping at our fur and whiskers. As soon as we get to the tree, I start climbing. Jalal looks at me as if I were crazy. "Come on!" I yell at him from the trunk.

"Naw, that's all right. I'll stay down here." I frowned, and climbed down and stood with my face centimeters from his.

"You, don't know how to climb?" I tilted my head in confusion. He shied his face down at an acorn.

"I… I um… I… I-I-I-" he took a deep breath. "I don't- I never learned to…"

"Oh!" I was shocked, but only slightly. We were still kittens. "I can teach you, if you'd like." I smiled shyly, my head lower than his.

"You'd do that? You'd do that for me?" He asked solemnly.

"Of course! You first, look to see if the tree is climbable. Like that birch over there, wouldn't be a good tree, because the bark is slick and the branches are pretty vertical." I nodded over to a birch across the way. "but this gnarly tree here," I flick my tail towards the weird oak tree I had started climbing. "is perfect, because most of the branches are horizontal-ish and the bark is thick and soft." I continued to teach Jalal the basics of climbing, and let him try it.

"like this?" he asked, as he was half-way up the trunk.

"Yeah! You're doing great, but whatever you do, don't look down." I yelled up to him.

"Why?" he asked as he climbed onto the first branch. Then, he looked down. "AAGH!" he screamed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as I started to scale the trunk.

"It's just… so far from the ground!" He concluded. He seemed to be over his scare.

"I told you not to look down, dummy!" I climbed the trunk of the tree to the branch that Jalal was standing on. "Look at that fence! It seemed so tall before, but now, we could easily jump over it!" There was a dead hickory tree just over the stone fence. The stone fence was covered in vines and moss. It looked abandoned.

"Let's go explore it!" whispered Jalal. His fur brushed against mine as he walked closer to the edge of the branch.

"Be careful, Jalal. The ends of branches don't hold cats up very well. You'd better jump soon." I warned him. I didn't want him to fall to his death like Holly almost did. Jalal jumped from the branch to the top of the stone fence, shaking and quaking the branch I was on. I struggled to keep my balance. As soon as my branch settled down, I crept towards the end of the branch and jumped right next to Jalal.

"What's that?" He motioned his tail towards the tiny door in the door.

"I… It's a… I honestly don't know!" I concluded. The door was quite queer.

"It's going to rain again. Let's go inside!" I stared at him. Was he stupid? Is he kidding?

"Jalal, that's not a good ide-" He jumped down and waltzed through the door.

"Are you coming?" He called from inside.

"Come out! It could be dangero-" His scream cut me off. I jumped of the wall and bolted inside. "Jalal! Are you alright?" an animal grabbed my scruff in its teeth and got me off balance.

"Honey!" Jalal called. I couldn't see a thing. There was no light anywhere.

"Jalal! Jalal!" I called. "Where are you Jalal?" the animal who had my scruff let me go and hissed in my face.

"What do you know of Jalal the Paw?" My eyes had adjusted to the darkness a little. It was a cat, older than Jalal and I, but younger than Varjak. He had reflective green eyes and a silvery blue coat like Varjak's.

"I-I don't I-I-I-" I stammered.

"He's my ancestor." Jalal spoke up. The green eyed cat whipped his head around to face him.

"How?" the cat looked confused.

"Well, my father, Varjak-" The green-eyed cat cut him off.

"Varjak?! That wimp is still alive? Hahahaha! I'm surprised he could survive out there! "He had relaxed and was practically rolling on the floor laughing. Who was this cat? Who does he think he is calling Varjak weak? He beat Sally Bones! "Anyway, who are you two? And what are you doing in Contessa's house?"

"I'm Jalal Paw, named after my ancestor. I'm Varjak's son." The cat paused to stare at Jalal.

"You're his son? Did he- Is your Mother that mangy black and white scum he wanted us to meet?" The cat shook his head. "You could never be accepted as a blue like us. Just look at your fur! And your eyes! Hardly a blue descendant at all!" he scoffed.

"Don't talk about my parents that way!" Jalal snapped. "They are noble and trustworthy cats and I wouldn't wish for different parents!"

"Geez. Sorry little guy." He joked. "Now that I know you, I guess I should tell you who I am." I listened intently for the great revealing of his identity.

"I am your uncle Jethro."


End file.
